


Salt and Pepper

by Em_Jaye



Series: Good Madness [17]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Darcy Lewis is Tony Stark's Daughter, F/M, Family Fluff, Gen, Holidays
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-17
Updated: 2018-12-17
Packaged: 2019-09-21 09:28:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17041184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Em_Jaye/pseuds/Em_Jaye
Summary: "May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness"-Neil GaimanMid-December





	Salt and Pepper

**Author's Note:**

> I can't stop writing this universe. I don't really know what this is, just that it felt necessary to the overall story. 
> 
> Hope you like it at least a little. Love you all lots, my sweet ships!

Over the top of a steaming cup of coffee, Darcy narrowed her eyes and studied the man sitting on the other side of the table.

Tony was jumpy this morning—jittery in a way that wasn’t going to be helped by the second shot of espresso he’d just ordered.

With a curious tilt of her head, Darcy reached out and broke off a piece of one of the chocolate croissants he’d had waiting when she’d walked in ten minutes ago.

She frowned as she popped it into her mouth. “You okay?”

He blinked his attention from the doorway back to her. “Huh? Yeah. I’m fine,” he answered, distractedly before he motioned to the pastry in her hand. “How is that? Any good?”

Darcy shrugged. “They used salted butter when they laminated the dough,” she admitted, chewing thoughtfully. “It’s undermining the chocolate in a way I’m pretty sure wasn’t intentional.”

Tony raised an eyebrow. “You can tell that with one bite?”

She shrugged again. “I could tell that with one taste.”

The corner of his mouth tugged into a grin. “So, you’re saying yours are better?”

She scoffed with a smile. “Obviously,” she ripped off another piece and ate it anyway. “We could have just met at the shop,” she reminded. “Where the chocolate croissants are—to quote The Brooklyn Street Beat—'good enough to build a religion on.’”

Tony pointed to her and reached for the other half of the croissant with a grin. “It’s Monday,” he countered. “You’re closed on Mondays. And don’t think I didn’t catch that hashtag humblebrag.”

“It’s a nonstop hustle, being your own boss,” she reminded dryly, making him laugh before she picked up her coffee cup again. She held it in both hands, trying to warm up as she caught Tony glancing at the door again. “Do you have somewhere else to be?” she asked suddenly. “You’re acting super weird.”

“No, I’m not,” he said immediately defensive. “I’m being the normal amount of weird.”

She frowned a second time. “You definitely aren’t.”

The bell above the door behind Darcy chimed as it opened, and she turned slightly to see a slim, statuesque redhead in a white peacoat step inside. She turned back before she could wonder how anyone kept a coat that white in the city when she noticed Tony’s eyes light up as he gave a nod of recognition. In the next moment, the redhead had approached their table and Tony was giving up his chair in search of another.

The woman removed her soft leather gloves and extended a hand and a warm smile. “You must be Darcy,” she said with confidence. “It’s so nice to finally meet you.”

Darcy blinked and shook her hand hesitantly. “Uh, hi. I…wish I could say the same, but I have no idea who you are,” she admitted as Tony returned to the table with a chair for himself.

She watched them sit at the same time before the redhead turned to Tony and raised her eyebrows. Up close, Darcy could see she was probably in her forties, with the beginnings of delicate, fine lines around her eyes and mouth. There was something vaguely familiar about her, but Darcy couldn’t place where their paths might have crossed before. She carried herself with a kind of effortless grace that was more floating than walking or sitting and Darcy wondered briefly if she’d ever been a dancer. “She has no idea who I am,” this new woman repeated to Tony, expectantly.

Darcy looked from her to Tony, amused to see him fidget uncomfortably. “I hadn’t gotten there yet,” he said with an apologetic half-smile. “We got distracted. By chocolate croissants.”

“For six months,” she asked before she shook her head slightly and turned back to Darcy. “I’m Pepper Potts,” she said with another smile. “I’m Tony’s wife.”

Darcy blinked and sat up straighter. “Oh!” she said, before she could stop herself. “Wow! That’s…”

“Surprising,” Pepper filled in, with another look in Tony’s direction. “Apparently. I’m so sorry we haven’t met until now. I’ve heard so much about you.”

She watched Pepper absently settle the cutlery and pastry plate out of her way before she folded her manicured hands in front of her on the table. Something in her meticulous movements jogged Darcy’s memory and she brightened once more. “Pepper Potts,” she repeated. “Like...the first female CEO in clean energy? That Pepper Potts?” 

"Pepper is fine," the woman in question laughed.

Darcy smiled and shook her head. “Sorry,” she said, holding in an excited blush. “I was trying to place where I recognized you,” she admitted. “I’m kind of a fan.”

Pepper straightened her back even further. “Of mine?” she repeated.

Darcy nodded. “You probably don’t remember,” she acknowledged, “but you came to ICC right before I graduated—you did a keynote for some women-in-business lunch we were invited to.” She remembered more vividly then, how she’d been struck by Pepper’s brilliant, concise advice and approachable nature during her speech. She hadn’t gone to the meet and greet afterward—late already for a shift at her externship—but Darcy had left the luncheon feeling considerably more at ease at the idea of running her own business someday.

“Oh, of course,” Pepper nodded like she really did remember. “Tony mentioned that’s where you studied—that’s quite a memory,” she complimented. “That was a while ago.”

Darcy smiled. “You made an impression,” she said sincerely before she glanced between the two of them again. “So, it sounds like you know all about me,” she guessed. “How long have you and Tony been…you and Tony?”

Pepper blew out a breath and titled her head thoughtfully to one side. “Let’s see…” Before she could answer, a vibration buzzed from inside her brown leather clutch and she frowned as she retrieved her phone. “I’m sorry,” she said quietly. “I’ll be right back.”

Darcy watched her leave to take her call outside before she turned back to Tony with a grin. “Think she’d freak out if I asked if I could call her ‘Mom’?”

He rolled his eyes and reached for another croissant—almond, this time. “Don’t even joke about that,” he said.

“I feel like I should joke a little bit,” Darcy countered. “Considering you just hit me with a sneak-attack spouse meeting and have yet to apologize for leaving me so unprepared.”

“I’m not that sorry,” Tony admitted.

“And you guys don’t wear wedding rings,” she realized, glancing at his hands. “What’s that about?”

“Pepper has an engagement ring.”

She raised an eyebrow. “And…?”

“Are rings really necessary if you’re genuinely committed to each other?”

“Jesus Christ,” Darcy sat back with a sigh. “Starting to think Raina really dodged a bullet here.”

“Kind of rude,” Tony assessed. “And I asked her if she wanted one, by the way.”

Darcy raised an eyebrow. “Did you ask her after you offered that swell line about commitment?” Tony was quiet, his mouth puckered sourly. “Any other bombs you want to drop before she comes back? Should I be expecting a little Stark sibling someday?”

“I’m fifty-five years old,” he reminded flatly.

“That doesn’t mean anything,” Darcy waved a hand, kind of enjoying their good-natured sniping. “Charlie Chaplin had babies when he was eighty-three.”

Tony measured a glare in her direction. “Are you trying to catch me up on thirty-three years of sass?”

She grinned. “Just making sure you know what you missed.”

He sighed and ran a hand over his face. “I so appreciate it. And to answer your question, no. There’s no other major life-event bombs that I’m planning to drop.”

“Fair enough,” she acknowledged. “But you really didn’t have to keep her a secret,” she reminded. “I mean, I get why it’s not public information, but you could have just told me she was joining us today.”

He shifted in his seat, uncomfortable under her scrutiny. “I wasn’t sure you’d come if I told you she’d be here.”

Darcy frowned. “Why wouldn’t I come?” Shetilted her head and studied him again for a few long moments before she cleared her throat. “You know I don’t have any misconceptions about your relationship with my mother, right?” Tony looked up from sipping Pepper’s espresso, looking just guilty enough for her to continue. “Tony,” she reached across the table and put a friendly hand on his arm. “It’s okay that she wasn’t the love of your life. I promise.” She took her hand back and picked up her coffee again. “Besides,” she added, “Pepper seems great. A little too good for you, if I’m being honest…”

“You can stop being honest now,” Tony said, though Darcy caught the grin tugging at his mouth. “Smartass.”

“Like father, like daughter,” she quipped with a grin and popped the rest the chocolate croissant in her mouth. Her lips twisted in a frown as she chewed, and she wrinkled her nose. “Okay, but seriously?” she asked thickly while she swallowed. “This is not good. Next time, just come to the shop.”

But Tony’s smile only brightened, and he mimed taking a photo of her displeased face with his fingers. “Now that face?” he pointed to her. “That’s 100% Raina. Almost exactly like I remember her.”

Darcy felt a rush of warm affection bubble up in her chest. She took another sip of coffee and watched Tony eat the rest of his almond croissant. Pepper returned, bringing a rush of December air with her as she sat down again. “Sorry about that,” she said breathlessly. “Won’t happen again.”

“No worries,” Darcy assured her. “What are you guys doing for Christmas?”

They shared a look of surprise. “We’re staying in town,” Pepper said with the hesitant confidence of someone who desperately wanted to check her calendar. “What about you? Are you and Steve going anywhere?”

She shook her head. “No, the shop stays open until five on Christmas Eve. But we’re doing brunch at our house, Christmas morning around eleven if you’d like to join us.” She surprised herself with how easy the invitation slipped from her lips. Like all of this was perfectly normal, exactly how she’d planned it. “No pressure,” she added after a moment.

Tony and Pepper exchanged another look before Tony spoke. “Are you sure?” he asked dubiously. “I mean, we don’t…” he motioned between Darcy and himself. “You and I don’t really do…” he stopped, flustered. “I didn’t know we were up to holidays together.”

Darcy shrugged and set her mug down. “Guess we’re both just full of surprises today, Tony,” she said. “But seriously, don’t feel like you have to come if you don’t want to—it’s just going to be waffles and bacon and eggs. Maybe mimosas? Nothing fancy.”

“It sounds lovely,” Pepper said firmly and smiled at Darcy, setting her unexpectedly at ease again. “Of course, we’ll be there.”

An hour later, after they’d gone their separate ways, Darcy’s phone vibrated with a text from Tony.

_So…are we holiday people now?_

She smiled at the question and rolled her eyes. _Let’s see how being Christmas brunch people goes…we might hate it._

It was another minute before Tony responded. _Good point_ , he wrote, and Darcy snorted a laugh. _But breakfast was good. Despite the salty croissants_.

 _Yeah_ , she texted back. _Breakfast was good_.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think!
> 
> Share the love on Tumblr @idontgettechnology and check out ishipitpod.com for more fanfic fun
> 
> *blows kisses*


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